Sri Lanka thumped Ireland by an innings and 280 runs in the first Test at Galle with the hosts wrapping up victory after tea on day three.
Ireland, who lost 13 wickets on the day, were bowled out for 168 in their second innings having been rolled for 143 in their first knock as they replied to the home team’s 591-6 declared.
Sri Lanka spinner Prabath Jayasuriya earned match figures of 10-108 after backing up his first innings 7-52 with 3-56 second time around.
Ireland’s defeat was their fifth in as many games since they were awarded Test status in 2017, with Andy Balbirnie’s men also beaten by Pakistan, Afghanistan, England and Bangladesh.
Curtis Campher walks off after being dismissed for 30 in Ireland’s second innings
The tourists – who will now be aiming to level the Sri Lanka series by winning the second and final Test from April 24 – began day three in Galle on 117-7, trailing by 474.
Ireland reached 143-7 before losing their final three wickets for no runs, with left-arm Jayasuriya dismissing top-scorer Lorcan Tucker (45) and Mark Adair (0) in the same over.
The visitors were reinserted by Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne and tumbled to 40-5 as opener Murray Commins (0) bagged a pair and James McCollum (8), Balbirnie (6), Tucker (6) and Peter Moor (0) also fell cheaply.
Harry Tector (42) and Curtis Campher (30) took Ireland into three figures with a sixth-wicket stand of 60 before Campher was out on the sweep to a superb catch from Nishan Madushaka and Tector was run out by Karunaratne.
George Dockrell (32) and Mark Adair (23no) delayed Sri Lanka’s victory but the hosts eventually triumphed in the final session when Jayasuriya trapped last man Ben White (1) lbw.
